


diving in (zora's domain)

by michpat6



Series: aftermath [19]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, something's a little off, they get to zora's domain, time to start rebuilding!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:41:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29187969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michpat6/pseuds/michpat6
Summary: Zelda’s excitement about driving the Master Cycle dwindles the closer they get to Zora’s Domain.
Relationships: Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Series: aftermath [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033743
Comments: 8
Kudos: 69





	diving in (zora's domain)

Zelda’s excitement about driving the Master Cycle dwindles the closer they get to Zora’s Domain. She stops talking about how it feels to be in control, stops laughing whenever they hit a bump and the tires jolt, and stops speeding over hills in the hopes of catching air.

(Link is the tiniest bit relieved. He expected her to enjoy herself, but he wasn’t expecting her to drive like a maniac.)

Where he expects her to cut through the Lanayru Wetlands and have some fun with the water, Zelda avoids them entirely.

She slows to a stop when they hit Inogo Bridge, the Master Cycle’s engine shutting off as they sit there.

“Zelda?” Link asks, quiet.

“Can you drive again?” she asks, staring out at the Zora guards at the other end of the bridge. “I’m not…”

“Sure,” he says. 

(He doesn’t ask what bothers her. He already knows.)

The Zora live much longer than Hylians. The Zora remember them. The Zora remember Mipha.

Of course, Link smoothed it over with King Dorephan and a majority of the townspeople when he calmed Vah Ruta, but that didn’t stop a select few from sending him dirty looks and spitting in his direction when they thought he wasn’t looking.

He can only imagine what they would try with Zelda. 

(What they would  _ dare _ to try with him around. He can handle their hatred just fine, it rolls off his back no problem, but Zelda internalizes anything negative someone says about her, a lasting gift from her father.)

 _Master_ ,  The Master Sword hums on his back.  _ There is a 12% chance the Zora will react with anger to Zelda’s presence. _

(It’s still a chance he won’t allow them to take.)

They pull up to the Zora guards, who cross their spears in the air. Zelda ducks her head into the back of his neck, avoiding their eyes as they greet him.

“Since when do you travel with a friend, Link?” One of the Zora asks, Link forgets both of their names-

“ _Princess Zelda_ _?_ ” The other Zora questions. “Is that you?”

“Tottika, what are you talking about? The princess is in the castle!”

“The Calamity has been dead for three months, Ledo! You think she died, too?”

“I don’t know! Link, is Princess Zelda dead or is she the friend on the back of your weird horse?”

_The Zora have lost their tact over the century of isolation_ ,  The Master Sword points out the obvious.  _ Or these two are simply less intelligent than their brethren. _

(He didn’t think the sword had the ability to insult people. It’s almost funny.)

Link forces himself to smile at them. “Yes, this is Princess Zelda. Now if you would let us pass, we need to speak to King Dorephan.”

“Of course!” They say in unison, uncrossing their spears and waving them through. Ledo calls to their backs, “Welcome back, Princess!”

Zelda sucks in a breath, tensing.

Fortunately, there are no more Zora along the path to the palace, but that unfortunately means they’re all  at the palace.

Link parks the Master Cycle at the entrance and helps Zelda off, smoothing out his Champion’s tunic. She's wearing her 'matching' outfit, what she had worn on expeditions a hundred years prior, a gift he had stolen from her bedroom weeks before he went to the sanctum.

“Ready?” he whispers.

“No,” she whispers back.

He grabs her hand and raises her knuckles to his lips. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“ No ,” she repeats. “Not behind me.”

(Right.)

He walks beside her up the steps, the only sounds the clinking of his shield against his bow and the Master Sword, and then Mipha’s statue comes into view. A crowd of Zora turn their heads to look at them. 

Zelda stops in her tracks.

"Link!" Sidon approaches them, arms spread as wide as his sharp, toothy grin. He engulfs Link in a quick, excited hug so tight something in his back cracks. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?"

"Princess Zelda," he manages as the prince pulls back, motioning to Zelda. "She's here to meet with your father about rebuilding Hyrule."

"Princess-" Sidon's gaze slides to her, and while his grin widens, it leaves his eyes. "Ah, Princess Zelda! The last time I saw you I was a child!"

"Yes," Zelda says, craning her neck to meet his eyes. "You've grown quite tall, haven't you, Prince Sidon? Mipha would be beside herself."

"Yes, I hope she would," he moves on quickly from the mention of his sister. "Come, I'll take you to my father. He's been wondering when you would show up since the Calamity disappeared from the castle."

Link narrows his eyes as Sidon turns around and leads them further into the Domain. Usually, the Zora prince would regale him with tales about what he's missed since he was last here, inviting him to go hunting or swimming, but today his fishy friend is acting, well,  _ fishy_.

All of the Zora are acting strange, as a matter of fact. The crowd before Mipha's statue-Why even  _is_ there a crowd before Mipha's statue?-is silent, watching them approach with not even a wave in his direction. 

(The Zora, despite their grievances, have always been, at the very least, polite to him. They've never not said hello.)

The crowd parts as they walk through, leaving at least a foot of space between themselves and Zelda. A majority refuse to meet her eyes, turning their heads away.

Link glares at them all, doesn’t understand  _why_ the Master Sword’s twelve percent chance is happening, until a young Zora’s toy skitters on the ground and knocks into Zelda’s boot.

There is a collective holding of breath as Zelda drops to one knee to pick up the toy. Some Zora flinch, others gasp, and one whispers a prayer. Even Sidon watches her with careful eyes.

(Are they…?)

Zelda looks at the trembling Zora child and gives her a soft smile.

“Is this yours?” she asks, holding out the toy. It’s a makeshift doll of Mipha, her hands blue with the power of her Grace. “It looks just like her.”

The child nods and takes it, whispering, “I’m sorry.”

“That’s all right,” Zelda continues to hold out her hand. “My name is Zelda. What’s yours?”

The child looks up at her mother, and when her mother frantically nods she answers, “Nava.”

Nava doesn’t shake Zelda’s hand, hugging the Mipha doll close to her chest.

“My father is waiting for us, Princess,” reminds Sidon, his normally loud, boisterous voice just above a weak whisper.

“Of course,” Zelda breathes, her face falling as she gets back to her feet and brushes herself off.

Frowning, Link glances back at Nava, watches the girl’s mother hug her. There’s relief in the older Zora’s expression as she meets his eyes.

_They are, Master_ ,  The Master Sword takes the thought right out of his head.  _ This was not something I anticipated. _

“Zelda,” he murmurs in her ear.

(Why are the Zora afraid of her?)

“I know,” she whispers back.

(What do they think she did to them?)

King Dorephan is, like always, settled on his gigantic throne. Muzu stands on his right, and Sidon takes his usual place on his left.

Link and Zelda stand on the platform before the throne, at the mercy of the monarch.

Muzu’s muzzled disdain for Link is clear in his eyes as he notices him, but then the old Zora’s gaze lands on Zelda.

The old Zora’s gaze lands on Zelda, and the blood drains from his face as his jaw drops.

“P-Princess Zelda!” he stammers.

“Muzu,” Zelda greets him with a cordial nod before turning her attention to the king and bowing, her hands clasped before her chest like she’s praying. “King Dorephan.”

"Princess Zelda," The Zora king is visibly apprehensive as he stares down at her. "Welcome back."

(Link believes when Sidon said his father was wondering when Zelda would show up, he really meant fearing.)

Zelda straightens. "Thank you. The Domain has fared well after the calming of Vah Ruta?"

"Yes," Dorephan shifts uncomfortably on his throne. "You have fared well after your...battle?"

She glances at Link and smiles a little. "It's a work in progress."

He smiles back and asks the king, "How  is Ruta doing since the last time I saw her?"

Dorephan swallows. Muzu clears his throat. Sidon stares at his feet. The guards at the back of the room tighten their grips on their spears, exchanging nervous glances.

"Divine Beast Vah Ruta has been experiencing some..." Dorephan trails off. " _ Issues _ , since it fired at the castle."

"Issues?" Zelda repeats, furrowing her eyebrows. "Of what kind?"

"It shuts down entirely at random intervals," Sidon reports. "And when it  is online, it refuses to let our scouts enter to investigate what remains inside, attacking like it had when it was infected."

"The people have taken to praying to Mipha," Muzu adds. "They ask for her to calm her Divine Beast, unaware that her spirit has left it."

The ancient fish shoots Link another glare to punctuate the end of his sentence.  Link fights the childish urge to stick out his tongue.

"I know you have come to ask for my support in rebuilding your kingdom," Dorephan continues. "Access to our Luminous Stone to reinforce any broken walls and reopening the trade of that Luminous Stone is what you're looking to get out of our people's reinvigorated alliance, yes?"

Zelda nods, playing with her hands behind her back. "Yes, Your Majesty. What can I do?"

The king turns his attention to Link. "I will give my support if you can find a way to calm Ruta once more. Those are my terms."

**Author's Note:**

> hmmmmm i wonder why everyone is afraid of zelda
> 
> the fun but not fun champion angst starts up next i'm happy to get the boring "we've arrived" stuff out of the way


End file.
